The 20-year-old goalkeeper will see an initial loan spell at Oakwell from Stoke City come to an end on Boxing Day.

He will then be due back at the Britannia Stadium and has previously expressed a desire to start testing himself on a Premier League stage.

Another short-term deal elsewhere has been mooted, with Asmir Begovic still very much first-choice at the Potters.

Butland is ruling nothing out at this stage, as he looks for regular game time to try and force his way into England's World Cup plans, and has conceded that he could be lured back to the second tier by the right offer.

He told the Barnsley Chronicle: "I doubt I will go out again until the end of January.

"My plan has always been to play in the Premier League, and it still is.

"If it happens this season, then great. If it doesn't, then I will look to go back out to the Championship, and that could be at Barnsley."

Butland's time at Barnsley has been eventful, with the Tykes having recently parted company with the man who brought him to the club - former boss David Flitcroft.

"It wasn't nice. I wanted it to pass as quick as possible," Butland said of the managerial change.

"He spoke to us. He said thank you to everyone. A lot of the lads have been with him for a long, long time so it was tough.

"But we showed at Brighton that we've put it behind us. In football there's always opportunities to bounce back."

ood grief. Someone guessed that the form English player at the moment might be in his national side with some other players? And that's espionage? Now if they discovered that Emile Heskey was going to be in the starting line up.... at right back.... THAT would be espionage. Give it a rest Roy.